By
Leesha Furse
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CPL
Steve Worthington, LAC Leon Halloran, LACW Christina Matthewson
and SGT David Lind load ACW Joanne Lovi into a vehicle in
an emergency exercise at RAAF Base Amberley. Under the scenario,
the “patient” had been exposed to fuel.
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Photo by AC David Gibbs
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RAAF
Base Amberley personnel do not need reminding that their airfield
accident training exercises could become reality.
In
February they responded to the crash of an Army Black Hawk near
the base. “The Black Hawk accident highlighted that accidents
do really happen and that all scenarios will be different,” said
Squadron Leader Iain White.
The base has been undertaking a series of crash exercises, beginning
on July 21 and ending this week, practising basic components that
will be important in any response.
“The initial exercises were designed to practise the basic skills
required to navigate from point to point around an airfield,
using correct airfield driving procedures, radio-telephony and
the airfield crash grid,” SQNLDR White said.
“As the exercises have progressed, the scenarios have developed
into simulated emergency scenarios, such as a fuel spill or a
simulated aircraft accident, which have been allowing the emergency
services personnel to consider real emergencies in a controlled
environment.”
The aim of the ongoing training exercises has been to improve
experience levels of personnel required to respond to an emergency
on the airfield. Emergency services (mainly firefighters and
medical staff) and air traffic controllers have been involved.
Their training has been guided by an updated airfield emergency
plan that aligns the entire plan with the base’s current structure,
capabilities and equipment levels. SQNLDR White said the training
was going “very well” as the knowledge of base personnel was developing
“which is great”.
“The training will continue to maintain Amberley’s emergency response
capability as an effective and cohesive capability,” he said.
RAAF Base Amberley’s Airfield Emergency Plan is highlighted on
the Directorate of Air Force Safety’s web site under Emergency
Management.
